5 Things We Learned About Goodie Mob’s “Age Against The Machine”

Many moons ago, four boys from the jaws of ATL showed up on the Hip-Hop scene prescribing “Cell Therapy” and serving “Soul Food” for the masses. With over a decade since their last collective effort, the Dungeon Family representatives Goodie Mob jumped back in the basement and emerged with their new effort, “Age Against The Machine.” Here are five things we noticed after hearing the music at a listening session in New York City.

When Cee-Lo went solo and scored success with the monster smash “Crazy” with the “St. Elsewhere” album from his Gnarls Barkley collaboration with DJ Danger Mouse, many swore Goodie Mob was done for. And when the remaining three members dropped and album without Cee-Lo on it named “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show,” a lot of heads smelled beef in the background. But the group is happy to inform the world that although creative goals changed, the love didn’t.

2) The Time Away Hasn’t Effected The Chemistry

Plenty of groups have dropped reunion or comeback albums after healthy hiatuses. The projects are usually fraught with uncomfortable collabs and strained styles as the members do their best to shake off the ring rust. But the songs banging out of the loud speakers have the “on-the-same-page” feel that you can’t fake. The group, not the individual members, wrote these songs and it shows.

3) The Album Is Very Progressive

Instead of making the age old mistake of trying to recapture the old glory by revamping the old sound, the Goodie boys decide to instead skip that and aim for the spirit of the original work, opting for sounds and production from all kinds of time periods ranging from African drums to 50′s style Rock and Roll rhythms for quite an eclectic collection. Tracks with names like “White Power,” “I’m Set” and “My First White Girl” are sure to push the envelope while fans push the rewind button.

4) The Group Hasn’t Lost A Step Lyrically

Another crime committed by golden-age groups on the comeback path is the shift in lingo to keep up with current trends or adapting popular flows to keep themselves anchored in the mainstream. Nine times out of ten, the results prove disastrous thanks to a misused word or style that fits the user like a cheap suit. Thankfully, Goodie Mob has only enhanced what they’ve always done as opposed to trying out things they’ve never dealt with. It’s the level of lyricism we’ve come to know and love.

5) Ceelo Has Become The Unofficial Front Man

You would think that with the buzz about the groups demise thanks to Ceelo’s solo ambitions, that brother Green would be content to play the background. But instead he’s become the most vocal, using his recent mainstream fame as fuel to launch the Goodie Mob into the living rooms of folks far beyond Atlanta. Holding court with the charisma honed through hours of interviews and camera time on “The Voice,” there isn’t a better man to introduce the Mob than Ceelo Goodie.

Goodie’ Mob’s “Age Against The Machine” will be in stores August 27th.

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